![]() Atlanta is not Los Angeles and it never will be so let’s just dive right in. Here’s what you need to understand about Atlanta as the new Hollywood: 1. It’s hot in Atlanta. And I’m not talking LA hot. When it’s hot in Los Angeles, you can still blend your natural hair with your weave, temperatures will drop at least 30 degrees by nightfall, and it never rains in southern California. None of these events take place in Atlanta. 2. Los Angeles County is dedicated to healthy living, keeping the weight off, and looking good. Finding clean food is easy. The sushi is affordable and fresh during happy hour. And the weather is so good, that ‘summer weight loss’ effect is always on. Not in Atlanta. The people are real and are not geared for the industry so they eat what they want. Good luck looking good on camera! 3. Good indie work is hard to come by in Atlanta. In Los Angeles, everybody is doing SOMETHING. There are no qualms about it. You can put together a camera crew while waiting in a Starbucks line. In Atlanta, everybody isn’t ALLLLLL about the industry and the people who are creating projects independently don’t know you like that. I won’t dare say that Los Angeles is ‘friendly,’ but Atlanta isn’t really full of southern hospitality either. The industry is the industry any way you slice it. There are things I like about Atlanta… 1. I was able to secure an agent very quickly. This may be because I came with a reel and good headshots (both of which I brought from LA) but fair is fair. AMT was excited about signing me. My agents are great and I trust them. So there. LA agents have so much to choose from, you may never be chosen. And this isn’t coming from someone who was jaded and never chosen. I went through a few agents in my five years in LA. 2. Atlanta is a very concentrated area. I don’t care about being a big fish in a small pond. I just glad to be IN the pond. In LA a lot of us (who are EXTREMELY talented) weren’t in the pond. We were cutting the grass around it FOR FREE. I personally don’t care where a project films. It all ends up on the same TV. 3. Everybody is not in the industry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You throw a rock and hit an actor in LA. In Atlanta, they just think it’s cute that you’re still dreaming. I can live with that. There are some perpetrators out there but every city has those. It also makes it easy to have a life outside of the work. I haven’t been in Atlanta long, but I’ve been able to achieve an amazing sense of balance here that I could never get my hands on in LA. 4. It's waaaaay cheaper to live in Atlanta! At any rate, you decide what your experience is going to be where ever you are. I can honestly say I gave Los Angeles every breath I had. I also want to have a full life with a husband and children so I decided to work smarter, not harder. Time is of the essence but to each his own. This journey will probably lead me back to Los Angeles and I’m fine with that. But when I get back, I won’t be on the train and doing free theatre. Take me to the king! Because so many people have asked me about my transition from LA to Atlanta, I decided to comprise this book. It's due in December 2014 via Amazon.com. XOXO Tiffany Black
2 Comments
Ruhsaan Jones
4/17/2016 12:25:32 pm
I believe you 100℅...I'm from LA.
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Fooms
2/14/2017 11:07:48 am
I really loved reading this. Cracked up a few times in agreement and felt like you were speaking the complete truth. People may think I am crazy for leaving California as a California native to live in New York City for acting, and then leave NYC to LA and then again back to NYC. Girl now I'm like I'm over NYC, not moving enough out here and have been thinking of moving to Atlanta or once again back to LA. And reading this helps. Especially the part when you said you may make your way back to LA.. now that's real at least you're giving Atlanta a shot. I hear that the city is booming now and it's way cheaper to live that LA and damn sure is than NYC. Girl I'm bugging paying 650 for a small ass room where I could get a studio or one bedroom in Atlanta mad not live with some dirty New Yorkers. Okay I'm done ranting. But I loved reading your blog!
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